Mischievous Kiss 悪戯なキス
by kurasuchi
Summary: "But…If Ranma and I were to kiss, then…maybe… I don't mind that at all. I would even lo...like it." What would Ranma do if he happens to overhear this straight from Akane's mouth? TWOSHOT.
1. Words 詞

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Ranma ½. It is owned by Rumiko Takahashi, Shogakukan, VIZ Media and Kitty Films.

**Rating: **T

**Genre: **Romance, Humor

**Summary: **_"But…If Ranma and I were to kiss, then…maybe… I don't mind that at all. I would even lo...like it." _What would Ranma do if he happens to overhear this straight from Akane's mouth?

**Author's Notes: **I planned on doing this oneshot at the end of the year, but I guess I was bored enough to cancel that plan. I hope you enjoyed reading this as much as I've enjoyed writing it.

* * *

**Mischievous Kiss**

_**( **_悪戯なキス _**Itazura na Kiss)**_

_A Ranma ½ Fanfiction_

_By Kurasuchi~_

_

* * *

_

**Chapter 1: Words **_**(Kotoba **_詞)

* * *

He heaved a deep sigh as he felt a trail of sweat cross his ebony locks of hair, all the way to his temple, until it fell on the ground with nothing but a small mark. A mixture of dust and perspiration tickled his nose. He grew weary with each passing second as he concealed himself onto the pitch black chasms of the ceiling.

With his ragged breathing, Ranma had a hard time to conceal himself. The girls from the locker room are out to ambush him, armed with an army of blunt objects and fighting tools, all ready to punt him to oblivion. He, as usual, was mistaken for a _pervert. _He shuddered at the thought. It was that old pervert's fault. He was just a mere passerby; he got nothing to do at peeking on young girls changing back to their uniforms if he had a body to ogle at, all by his own. Not that he did _that, _actually. But it seemed that fate had always made its way for him and Happosai to cross paths. As he sped away with his trademark "_What a haul, what a haul!,"_ he left a piece of underwear atop Ranma's head and ran off, leaving Ranma at the mercy of a bevy of angry high school girls.

"Where is that Saotome? I'm gonna kill that pervert once I find him!"

Ranma, though startled at first, felt a small shiver down his spine at the fact that the girls who were out to ambush him are near. He prayed for his dear life. The last thing he needed was to get beaten up by girls for a sin that he hadn't even committed. Akane's violence was punishment enough.

"I don't see him anywhere, Captain," replied another member of the girls' tennis club, the same group of girls who were changing at the locker room just in time when Happosai decided to sneak a peek. "I think we've lost him."

"Dammit. He got away again. Let's search over there," the said captain replied, and pointed her index finger at the opposite direction of Ranma's whereabouts. "Let's go!"

Ranma sighed in relief. _'I guess I've lost them. Gotta go before it's too late.'_

He was about to end his _"ninja sneaking on the ceiling" _mode when he heard another set of girls' laughter near the area. With the fear of being found by the girls of the locker room occupying his head, he immediately resumed to his former position and listened intently on their conversation. Unfortunately, he strained his neck from staying at the ceiling for too long that he cannot move his head to look down at the girls that passed by.

"So, how does it feel?"

"Feel what?"

"To be _kissed,_ silly! You've been kissed by Hiroshi_-kun_ once, right? So, tell me, how does it feel?"

"Well… it.. it felt _nice_," replied the girl, with the last word being more of a whisper. Much to his dismay, Ranma was close enough to the girls for him to overhear their conversation. He shrugged. It was probably a group of love-struck girls again, with all their mushy ranting and lovesick fantasies. How he hated those kinds of conversations. Not that he could help but to eavesdrop on their girly pep talk…

'_But, still… didn't one of the girls mention Hiroshi's name? That Hiroshi, you sly dog…'_

"That's nice, Yuka! I never even thought that Hiroshi_-kun_ can grow a set of balls just to build up his courage and kiss you!"

Ranma shuddered at what he just heard. _'Y—Yuka? Then, the other one is... Oh, crap.'_

"Well, I never expected it either, Sayuri! It just sorta happened! But still, I knew we were still far from it, unlike a _certain_ someone here."

"W—Why are you looking at me like that? I don't know a thing about that!" another girl retorted, and this time, Ranma recognized the voice. However, he convinced himself enough not to believe it, as it was coincidence enough, in his opinion, for them to talk about something like that, with the entire student population to hear. Nope, someone he knew certainly doesn't fit the image of a girl hopelessly in love, except from one time.

"Deny it all you want, but it's the truth, right? Surely, with a hunk of a fiancé living with you in the same house, who knows what could've happened?"

"That's right! Tell us, Akane!"

'_Crap! It really is Akane!'_

Ranma cannot believe what he just heard. It was Akane. It really is Akane, and they are talking about him and that crappy relationship of theirs. He added another reason on why he needed to hide.

"But I haven't got anything to tell you. Ranma and I haven't done anything like that. The jerk didn't have the nerve to do anything intimate with any other woman.."

'_Haven't got the nerve?' _he thought bitterly, still irritated at the fact that his tomboy of a fiancée just ridiculed him in front of others. '_You.. you tomboy! Just you wait…'_

"But you've kissed, right? Besides that other time when Ranma_-kun_ is in his _Neko-ken_ mode…"

"I…"

"Stop taunting her, Sayuri! I believe in you, Akane. Tell me that you and Saotome_-kun_ had kissed a number of times, at least."

"I…I…I…"

"You…what?"

A long pause filled the air before Ranma heard a vague reply.

"I… he… we haven't even kissed yet," Akane mumbled, her voice carrying a hint of dismay. Though she may hate to admit it, she really felt ashamed that nothing of the sort had happened between her and Ranma. Sure, there's always the belligerent sexual tension every once in a while, and there's also the fact that Ranma had come close upon telling her what he had really felt—especially that one in _Jusendou—_but…nothing else happened other than _that_.

Like any other girls, she wanted to feel how it feels to be in love and be loved. She wanted to feel intimacies of the sort with the man she loved, and though she already had someone whom she held dearly, he didn't even have what it takes to initiate a romantic relationship with her. She sighed at the thought. _Why is Ranma so dense about things like this?_

Ranma, whose body is still attached to the ceiling, waited for their response.

"You…you really haven't kissed?" the two replied, as they gaped in shock. They couldn't believe what they had just heard. Of course, they knew that Ranma is a complete wuss when it comes to women, even if he did have quite a number of catchy fiancées chasing him. They also knew that those two are desired by almost all of the student population of Furinkan. But, when it comes to the both of them, well, they certainly are dense and slow. _Real slow. _To think that they still haven't kissed…

Akane only nodded in affirmation to their question. She is reluctant to admit things like this to them, but since they were her best friends, they are bound to know this sooner or later.

"But Akane, you do want to kiss him, right? I mean, you do want to kiss him?"

"You do want kiss him senseless! You do, don't you?'

Ranma frantically scratched the ceiling in fury. How dare did those girls mess up with their life? The fact that he and Akane may have kissed is entirely none of their business! Surely, Akane won't say something so girlish, she's a complete tomboy and everything but.. he wanted to know her reply anyway, so he anxiously waited for her to speak up.

"I… I don't know…"

A pang of annoyance ticked the hell out of Ranma as he heard Akane's sudden remark. He'd come across to this, only to find out that Akane did not know if she really wanted to kiss him or not? He didn't like it, and he certainly didn't like the fact that his hold onto the ceiling was getting weaker by the second.

"But…If Ranma and I were to _kiss_, then…maybe… I _don't mind_ that at all. I would even _lo_..._like_ it."

'_W—What?'_

'_I knew it! Ranma-kun and Akane are really…'_

Her vague reply made the hearts of her overly interested friends skip in glee. They knew it, they expected it, but they never thought that one of them would have the guts to admit it. Maybe, just maybe…then, they had certainly made some advances on their rocky relationship after all? Nevertheless, they continued on fantasizing their friend's blooming yet uncertain relationship.

Ranma, on the other hand, cannot believe what he just heard. He must have been hearing things; there's no way that Akane could have said those things! He wasn't convinced. But, deep down, he had felt a surge of relief, a sudden flush of happiness, and a feeling of tranquility that made his soul content. His heart, however, was beating madly in his chest as he recalled the words that had caused his sudden tenseness.

_But…If Ranma and I were to kiss, then…maybe…I don't mind that at all. I would even lo...like it. _

He had heard the exact words. However, he was still incoherent as his mind struggled to understand the meaning behind those words. Somehow, he never expected that the words "_Ranma + Akane + Kiss" _would have such a nice ring to it. _Kiss… _did that mean that she doesn't mind being kissed? Or she even wanted to kiss him? He was still uncertain, but there's no denying it. He had heard it straight from her. She wanted to kiss him. And much to his surprise, he felt the same way too.

The two girls finally squealed in delight. They patted the back of their best friend, all happy at the fact that she and her fiancé are finally making "the moves" on their relationship.

"We knew it, Akane! You can do it! We'll be rooting for you!"

"Eh? On what? I haven't said anything yet. Have I said anything?" Akane smugly replied. Yuka, Sayuri and Ranma face-faulted, still shocked from her sudden declaration. Ranma's grip on the ceiling loosened. One more word from Akane and he would certainly fall down, he knew it.

"Of course you did, silly! About you and Ranma_-kun_!"

"What about us?"

"What? Why, the_ kiss _of course!"

"K—Kiss?"

Ranma flushed at the word. Somehow, he cannot help but be flustered whenever he heard the word "kiss." It was all those pesky girls' fault.

'_But, still… to kiss Akane is…'_

"Who said anything about kissing Ranma? Why the hell would I kiss that jerk? You must be nuts! I won't kiss—"

'…_is a big JOKE.'_

Ranma's grip on the ceiling loosened once again. He felt his fingers brush through the rough surface of the ceiling, and he face-faulted as he felt his own body follow the rules of gravity. He ended up on the ground head first, but he ignored the physical pain as he gave consideration to the sudden pang of anger at the words spoken by his ruthless fiancée.

He cannot believe that he had just believed what she had said. He shouldn't have expected it. He shouldn't have convinced himself. After all, it was too good to be true. Of course, being Ranma, he certainly wouldn't allow someone to hurt his pride, especially if the one he wanted didn't really want him. He got up on his knees and stood up, and steeled his resolve.

"And who the hell would've wanted to kiss you? No one will want to kiss such an uncute tomboy like you, you know!"

"R—Ranma?"

"And I certainly wouldn't kiss an uncute chick like you! Tomboy, sexless, built like a brick, thighs are too thick, super uncuu—OOOOOFFF!"

Akane's ever-trusted mallet still rested atop the lumps on Ranma's head when Yuka and Sayuri had finally taken notice of his presence. They shrugged. Somehow, the two of them really did not have what it takes to have a normal relationship because of that sheer pride and stubbornness that both of them possessed.

"Uncute. And I certainly wouldn't _kiss _you, no matter what happens. Got that?"

"I got it," Akane grudgingly replied, as her fighting aura flickered in response. She positioned herself into a fighting stance, and lifted her foot with such force and ferocity until it connected with Ranma's jaw, and made him go up into the sky with a twinkle. "SO.. GO TO HELL AND DON'T EVER SHOW YOUR FACE AGAIN!"

'_R—Ranma! You big jerk!'_

_

* * *

_

The sun had already set when Ranma had finally made his way back to the Tendou-ke. He was tired and hungry, but dinner's still an hour away so he needed to hold his stomach for awhile. A nice, warm bath would be the first course of action, he supposed. He tried to hold himself back from falling down as he winced at the bruises that he had received upon his flight across Nerima. Akane had taken it quite seriously today. She had hit him harder than before.

The fact that Akane had hit him harder must have meant something, he mused idly. Was it somehow connected with her earlier girly pep talk? Or did it have to do something at the thought of kissing him, or at the words that he had misled himself into? Whatever it was, he didn't know. He shrugged the thought off. Akane must've been angry again. Well, she's always angry. _So uncute of her._

As he trudged his way to the flight of stairs, he was surprised to see Akane at the other end.

"Uh.. hi, Akane," he greeted, as his earlier annoyance at the certain blue-black haired girl faded into existence.

The girl looked at him begrudgingly and shrugged. She pivoted her foot so that she can go back upstairs, and wasted no time to take heed of the pigtailed martial artist's presence, or of the fact that he had just greeted her and was supposedly ignored.

However, one thing's for certain: Akane was mad at him. To be precise, she was _fumed _at the sight of him. He grumbled in annoyance and frustration. He wasn't someone who was to be taken lightly!

"A—Akane! Hey, wait up!" he shouted, and ran across the stairs to follow her. "Wait up, dammit!"

Still, there was no response. The last thing that he saw was her retreating figure that scrambled its way back to her room. Fortunately for him, he had somehow caught up with her and grabbed her shoulder, pulling her to face him. However, it deemed to be fruitless as she turned her back to him and locked the door with a loud thump.

Ranma, though quite annoyed at the situation, furiously knocked at the door of his angry fiancée. The duck sign that bore the name_ 'Akane' _evenmoved due to the pressure of his rampaging fists.

"Dammit, Akane! Open up!"

He knocked harder at the wooden surface, and this time, he could've sworn he had heard whimpering sounds from the inside. "Hey, Akane—"

"What?" she finally replied, her head poking through the door. "Mind telling me what you're doing here, banging out on my door like that?"

"You—you're ignoring me, that's why!"

"Ignoring you? Get a hold of yourself. Why in the world would I ignore you?" she retorted. "There's no reason for me to ignore you!"

This reply ticked the hell out of Ranma. "You've got _plenty _of reasons to ignore me, your actions say so!" he begrudgingly replied. "Now, hurry up and talk to me!"

"You need to rest," she spat. "Perhaps a good night's rest would calm you down."

"What? I don't need to rest, you big moron! Hey, Aka—"

He was met by a bang of a door being closed, and a crooked ducky that had his fiancée's name engraved on it.

Now, he was certain. He had certainly done something wrong this time. But, what could it be? Shouldn't he be the angry one here, considering all that she'd said?

"Akane…"

'_There's no helping it,'_ he mused idly. Though he cringed at the thought of a mad Akane (a real, pissed off Akane), he cannot help but become concerned. _'First thing in the morning…just you wait, you tomboy.'_

_

* * *

_

Akane woke up to the loud sounds made by her alarm clock. She reluctantly opened her eyes, and slowly got out of bed. It was such a nice day, she mused. Though she will never know how long it will continue to be nice…

"Yo! Akane!"

As the pajama-clad Akane opened the door of her room, she was greeted by the sight of Ranma, already dressed on his familiar red Chinese clothes. Though she felt kinda happy at the sight of him first thing in the morning, she was still angry enough for her to consider ignoring him. And she did.

"So, what do you think about today's breakfast? I bet it'll be fantastic, considering its Kasumi," he said. "What do you think Akane?"

Akane's nice day immediately changed into something undesirable. She felt the sudden urge to hit him after mentioning Kasumi's breakfast. It's as if…he was pinpointing her own weakness at cooking. She knew her cooking can never be as good as Kasumi's. He didn't have to remind her of that first thing in the morning! Still irritated at the turn of events, she ignored him again.

"Akane," he pressed, still unconvinced at the fact that Akane still ignored him. He followed her downstairs as she relentlessly moved away from him. "Hurry up, you tomboy! We're going to be late!"

They passed on over a smiling Kasumi, who was still busy setting the food at the table. They even passed at the slacking panda-form of Genma, together with Soun, who was busily reading the morning newspaper. Kasumi noticed her baby sister cross the area.

"Good morning, Akane_-chan_," she greeted. "Don't forget to put on your uniform."

Akane beamed at her, the first pleasant thing she had done for that morning. "Good morning, _oneechan_. I'm going to take a bath now, so that wouldn't be a problem," she replied. Kasumi, in return, smiled at this. Akane then wasted no more time as she crossed again the flight of stairs, and headed straight to the bathroom, sliding the door shut before Ranma can have a say in anything. This, in turn, infuriated Ranma.

'_What the hell is her problem?'_

But Ranma wasn't the type to give up. He needed to do something, and it needed to be fast. As long as Akane's ignoring him, he'll never get a good night's sleep. He pondered about Akane's actions for the umpteenth time. Though she may ignore him, she doesn't really stay like that for long. This was the first time that she had ever treated him like that. And much to his surprise, he did not like it even at the tiniest bit.

Hence, when Akane took off to school and purposely left him behind that he had to catch up to her, he decided that he had to make amends with her now, and _fast._

"Akane!" he shouted, still running behind her atop of a fence. "Hey! How come you keep on ignoring me?"

Akane still continued on running.

"Hey-! You know, if I ever _did _something bad, then just say so," he started. He got more and more infuriated by the second as he noticed that she was still ignoring him and his protests. "Look here! If I ever did something that you didn't like, then I'm sorry!"

Much to his relief, she finally stopped on his tracks.

"A-are you sure about that?" she asked, still hopeful.

Relief flushed through Ranma's system as he noticed that Akane had finally taken heed of his presence. "W-w-well… yeah, sort of," he trailed off. "If I ever did something bad, at least. Have I… have I done something wrong?"

She face-faulted at the notion. "Y-y-you mean… you didn't know?"

"Well, no," he replied. "I won't ask you if I knew, right? So—tell me. Tell me the reason why you'd been ignoring me. I ticks me off, y'know-!"

She shrugged in return. "Ah, really?" she spat, as she still faced the other way around. "It ticks you off, eh? Well… if you really didn't know, then it's _better _for you not to know!"

'_The jerk-! Here I am—I bared myself to him while he's still oblivious of the fact that he—he, of all people—-rejected me!'_

"Well, we're going to be late. Suit yourself, you pervert," she growled. She then resumed her marathon towards Furinkan High, while Ranma, on the other hand, froze on the spot as he realized that Akane had really been mad at him, will be mad at him, and most probably, won't ever talk to him again if this continued. _Girls, _he mused. _That unpredictable tomboy-!_

"Now wait a second here! What the hell you do you think you're doing, storming off like that-? And who do you think you're calling a pervert?" he furiously barked. "Oi-! Akane-!"

Deciding that he cannot hold himself any longer, he jumped in front of her. Using both of his hands, he forced her to look at him eye-to-eye, as he grasped both of her shoulders. She tensed at his touch, but shrugged it off.

"I don't like this, Akane," he nudged. "I don't like it-I _hate _it. Just… tell me. I don't understand you-! Heh… if you really wanted to avoid me, then, _fine_… I knew that I'm too irresistible anyway for you to ignore me any longer…"

What met his gaze are cold, icy, brown orbs that bored its way onto his heart like a sharp knife. He felt a small shiver trickle down his spine at her supposed killing intent.

"Is that all you wanna say?" she retorted. Ranma gulped nervously in return.

"Eh-? I… uh…"

"If it is, then GET OUT OF MY SIGHT-!" she spat. She raised her hands upwards and slapped him on the face with so much force that it even contorted sideways, removing both his hands that grasped her shoulders in the process. As Akane finally stormed off towards the gate, Ranma, on the other hand, remained shocked and motionless, his head still at its former position after her ferocious slap. A painful red handprint remained on his left cheek.

'_I hate you-! Ranma!'_

_

* * *

_

Ranma remained gloomy for the rest of the afternoon. Akane had been avoiding him all day, and after she utterly '_slapped'_ him, he finally gave up on chasing her. None of his efforts are paying off, anyway. And besides, she couldn't possibly ignore him for too long—they live on the same house, and eat at the same table, dammit!

Still, he cannot help but ponder on the cause of Akane's fury. What could've he done wrong this time? More importantly, shouldn't he be the one to be fumed at the sight of her? She picked on the topic of kissing him like it's just some lame joke that was supposed to be thrown away. Yeah, if she did want to ignore him, then he'll play the game! He had every reason to ignore her anyway!

He was oblivious of the fact that Akane's friends, Yuka and Sayuri, had found him cursing under his breath as he stood at the halls of the school, obviously upset at the fact that Akane had been terribly cold to him today.

The two girls, however, daringly approached him.

"Um…Saotome_-kun,_" Yuka initiated. "Saotome_-kun, _we need to talk."

Ranma cursed enough to himself at that moment for him to take heed of the two girls' presence.

"What is it? Do you need something?" he replied.

"I… I mean—we—need to talk about something," Sayuri interjected. "It's about Akane."

* * *

The cold nighttime wind brushed through her pale skin as she cradled herself in her bed, lying down in a fetal position. Though the wind may be cold, it was nothing compared to the coldness that had slowly crept unto her heart. Her attempts at controlling her sobs were in vain. They fell freely on her rosy cheeks, despite her efforts on staying calm. She can't help it, anyway. It hurts.

_And who the hell would've wanted to kiss you? No one will want to kiss such an uncute tomboy like you, you know!_

She hated it. She hated Ranma. And what's more, she hated herself.

How can she mislead herself like this? She shouldn't have believed in him. She shouldn't have hoped. She shouldn't have expected. She was stupid.

Why did Ranma have to say that, anyway? If it happened a few days back, she wouldn't have cared. If it happened an hour before that encounter, she wouldn't have cared. Of course, she knew that deep down inside, it is inevitable that he will say it, regardless of the situation. She also says those things, after all. But…it wasn't _then. _It just happened that after she had finally gathered her resolve, and for the first time in her entire life, admitted to the public that she had wanted to kiss someone, he happened to overhear it. Why—oh, why did it have to be that moment-? Why did it turn out to be the worst case scenario? After Ranma had shown himself, she had been certain that he had heard what she had said. And what's worse, his reaction-it seemed that he _hated_ it. Does the thought of him kissing her really disgust him that much?

Though she may not be an expert at love, she did it have the so-called "women's intuition." And what her instincts tell her—she, the inexperienced tomboy—was that he really didn't love her back. He didn't want her. He did not want to kiss her. Then, if it's that, what the hell is that ordeal at _Jusendou _anyway? Did he just say that because he was scared at the thought of her, dying? So, all those words that made her heart skip a beat—were just made out of impulse, of instinct, and not of sincerity, as what she had always believed?

Well, if he had heard her, and had proclaimed that he will never kiss her, and will never want to, then—it was all clear. It just felt like she had just confessed her feelings, and was supposedly rejected. She, the one who was being chased by the _hentai horde _every morning, was utterly rejected? Heh. Kunou_-senpai _would have to kill him for that, but he would probably claim her first. Why—oh,why?—did she have to fall in love with him? _That jerk._

As she drowned herself in her sorrows, never did she notice the retreating figure of a certain pigtailed martial artist who sneaked a peek through her window.

'_She's crying again,' _he thought bitterly. _'I need to make it up to her.'_

Reaching for the covers, he settled himself deep within his _futon. _He ignored the loud snores that his father made when he slept, even in panda form. He was too busy thinking. And, what's worse, the sight of Akane crying herself to sleep was too much for him to handle.

He then heaved a deep sigh. '_That settles it, then_,' he mused. _'What Yuka and Sayuri had told me must've been true.'_

_

* * *

_

**Author's Notes: **Due to the sheer length of this fic, I've split it into two parts. I've already finished the second-half, so if you've sent me nice reviews, then I might as well update it, then!

Please, no flames!


	2. Lips 唇

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Ranma ½. It is owned by Rumiko Takahashi, Shogakukan, VIZ Media and Kitty Films.

**Rating: **T

**Genre: **Romance, Humor

**Summary: **_"But…If Ranma and I were to kiss, then…maybe… I don't mind that at all. I would even lo...like it." _What would Ranma do if he happens to overhear this straight from Akane's mouth?

**Author's Notes: **This is the second half. Thank you so much guys!

* * *

Well, if he had heard her, and had proclaimed that he will never kiss her, and will never want to, then—it was all clear. It just felt like she had just confessed her feelings, and was supposedly rejected. She, the one who was being chased by the _hentai horde _every morning, was utterly rejected? Heh. Kunou_-senpai _would have to kill him for that, but he would probably claim her first. Why—oh,why?—did she have to fall in love with him? _That jerk._

As she drowned herself in her sorrows, never did she notice the retreating figure of a certain pigtailed martial artist who sneaked a peek through her window.

'_She's crying again,' _he thought bitterly. _'I need to make it up to her.'_

Reaching for the covers, he settled himself deep within his _futon. _He ignored the loud snores that his father made when he slept, even in panda form. He was too busy thinking. And, what's worse, the sight of Akane crying herself to sleep was too much for him to handle.

He then heaved a deep sigh. '_That settles it, then_,' he mused. _'What Yuka and Sayuri had told me must've been true.'_

_

* * *

_

**Mischievous Kiss**

_**( **_悪戯なキス _**Itazura na Kiss)**_

_A Ranma ½ Fanfiction_

_By Kurasuchi~_

_

* * *

_

**Chapter 2: Lips **_**(Kuchibiru**)_

_

* * *

_

"_I… I mean—we—need to talk about something," Sayuri interjected. "It's about Akane."_

_Ranma held his breath as he viciously clenched his teeth and clutched his hands. He had seen it coming. He had always known that sooner or later, these two girls would approach him about his and Akane's relationship. But, why did it have to be now, when their own relationship was up to a sad ending?_

"_What about her?" he finally replied, after deciding to himself to try on the inevitable. "Is something the matter?"_

_The two girls appeared to be nervous, he thought idly. Why did they have to-?_

"_Well, as you can see, Saotome-kun…you and Akane do seem to be on bad terms right now," said Yuka, as she clutched both her hands at the sides of her dress. "Um.. let's go straight to the point. Do you remember that incident when you have just told her about not wanting to kiss her, back when we were crossing the hallway and you were right at the ceiling?"_

_Ranma felt a pang of guilt at the memory. "Well, uh, yeah," he replied. "W-w-what about it?"_

"_I suppose that you had a reason for that, don't you?" asked Sayuri._

"_M-me? She's the one who did it first! She'd said that she didn't want to kiss me, right?" Ranma interjected. "And what the hell's the connection of that with our recent argument?"_

"_S-stupid!" both girls shouted. "Don't you know anything?" Yuka then snapped back at him, too furious for words. "She wanted to kiss you so badly!"_

_Ranma quivered in shock. 'K-k-kiss? Then… what I've heard.. I'm not just imagining it, then?'_

"_L-l—LIES!" he shouted as he tried to cover his embarrassment. "She did not say anything about that!"_

"_But she did," Sayuri retorted. "She did say it Ranma-kun, and what's worse, you've just broken her heart right away after she had admitted it!"_

"_So…what you mean to say is…"_

"_She wanted to be kissed, Ranma-kun," Sayuri stated flatly. "She wanted __**you**__ to __**kiss**__ her!"_

_For Ranma, that statement came to him like a saving light at the end of the world. _

'_OH! So, that's the reason why she's so angry-!'_

"_And," Yuka added, "That's the reason why she's so angry at you. She thinks that you are disgusted by the thought of kissing her, and she snapped."_

_Never did the two of them know that Ranma's mind already wandered off to who-knows-where, and was supposedly rejoicing. _

'_That Akane-! Sheesh, you only wanted to be kissed by __**me**__, eh? You should have just told me sooner,' he smirked to himself. 'I knew it, you simply cannot resist me!'_

_As Ranma's big ego made its way onto the surface once again, he was oblivious to the words spoken by the two girls after the 'revelation,' regardless of the fact that it was much more important than 'that.'_

"_You see Ranma-kun, the both of you may not admit it clearly, but Akane really loves you. And besides, girls do not have the habit of kissing boys whom they did not like. It's a major proof, Ranma-kun!"_

_

* * *

_

"Everyone, breakfast!"

As the sun had already risen that morning, the whole Tendo and Saotome household rose up to their feet to go on over the table and eat Kasumi's delightful cooking. Soun was the first to reach the table, followed by a sleepy Nabiki, an all-dressed Akane, and a grumbling and obviously very hungry Genma, who was currently in his true form. Nodoka followed him suit, carrying her beloved _katana _on her back despite the fact that she had known about her family's curse. Happosai then arrived after everyone had taken their seats.

As the family started to reach for breakfast, Nabiki was the first one to notice someone's absence at the table.

"Akane, where's Ranma_-kun_? It's quite rare for him to miss breakfast," said Nabiki, after stuffing some _katsudon_ onto her mouth.

The sound of Ranma's name irritated Akane. "I don't know," she replied. "I don't give a damn about him, the jerk."

"Now, now, Akane," Soun interjected. "It's not nice to say that to your fiancé, you know. As his fiancée, it is your duty to look after him."

Genma then laughed in approval, much to Soun's delight. "That's right, Tendo_-kun_! Fiancées should always look out for each other's welfare!"

Kasumi only smiled at this, Happosai ignored the commotion, while Nodoka beamed at everyone, muttering to herself, "What a pleasant day it is."

On the other hand, Akane was not entirely pleased. How come they keep on pressing that jerk to her? She didn't want to see him again, more or less hear his name! She cannot hold it any longer.

"I don't give a damn about that jerk!" Akane shouted, much to everyone's surprise. Sure, she does that every time, especially during the time when the engagement was still new, but…

"Akane_-chan_, is something the matter between you and Ranma _-kun_?" Kasumi asked.

"Nothing," she replied. She continued on munching her food, declaring to herself that she will have to leave Ranma in going to school if this keeps up.

Nabiki, who was keeping an eye on Akane recently, noticed the hurt expression in her little sister's eyes at the mention of her fiancé's name. "Oh, really now, Akane? A lovers' quarrel, perhaps?" she interjected.

"I told you it's nothing!"

"Morning."

Everyone at the table cocked their heads towards the direction of the voice. It was Ranma.

"Good morning, Ranma," Nodoka chirped. "Breakfast's ready."

Realizing to themselves that the commotion's finally over, they then resumed their interrupted breakfast. Ranma trudged to his usual seat—the one beside Akane—but before he sat, his eyes caught the sight of two glimmering brown orbs filled with fury…and both shrugged it off.

'_Just you wait, Akane. I'll surely make you kiss me in no time.'_

'_Idiot.'_

"_Gochisosama,"_ Akane muttered. She got up on her two knees and stood, and left the room without saying a word, or even giving a second glance at Ranma. She rushed off to school, completely leaving Ranma behind.

Akane's unusual behavior did not escape the eyes of the nosy household. "Ranma_-kun_," Soun started, keeping his air as the head of the household in action. "Did something happen between you and Akane?"

"It's nothing to worry about, _Oji-san,_" lied Ranma.

"_Anata_," Nodoka said to the now-panda form of Genma, as she unsheathed her precious _katana _near the panda's neck. "Is it possible…that my son is not that _manly?_"

Genma's wooden sign only said: "He's manly. Ranma's all manly, dear."

* * *

"Akane! Hey, wait up, you clumsy tomboy!"

Ranma desperately dashed off to catch up with Akane after she left for school. Much to her dismay, a now-irritated Akane tried to ignore the random musings of a certain pigtailed man. She seethed in frustration, and sped up her already fast run.

"Akane!" Ranma shouted again, not wanting to give up.

Currently atop of a fence, he finally caught up with her. "Keh! Finally caught up," he grumbled. "You sure run like an ox. No wonder you're a tomboy—despite your clumsiness, you're a fast runner."

Akane glared daggers at him, as she continued her mad dash to school. Why is he taunting her with no particular reason today? What the hell is his problem?

Ranma immediately smirked upon seeing his fiancée's desperate death glare. _'Good,' _he mused, _'I only need to taunt her more and she'll fall prey-!'_

"Heh-! Glare more like that and you'll look old too!" he taunted.

Her efforts to control her temper were in vain. "Y-y-you…" she growled, "YOU JERK! What the hell is your problem?"

'_Gotcha!'_

**OPERATION 1:**

**Surprise Attack!**

**Details:**_** Taunt the target with vicious insults and make sure that she falls prey. Once she snaps, and proceeds on making an effort for revenge, surprise her as she launches her attack by shutting her up with a forced kiss.**_

'_I'm a genius! With this, she can surely kiss me in no time!'_

He then proceeded for a variation of insults. He's an expert when it comes to that!

"My problem? Nothing," he smirked to himself. "It just happened that I've seen such an ugly tomboy having a mad dash to school, while the school's practically running away from her."

This retort confused Akane. "Running away? Mind telling me what the heck are you saying?"

"Well…it's just that you are practically _that_ tomboy, and that sooner or later, the whole school's gonna see how violent you were," he snapped back. "You know—that really happens if they happen to see someone who sinks like a hammer, someone who can't cook, can't do any domestic chores, had a beastly strength and is super uncute! You know what I mean, don't you?"

Much to Akane's dismay, Ranma wasn't making any sense now. Sure, his insults were the harshest ones she had ever received in her life—and she was going to make him pay for that—but it didn't have the slightest connection with each other. It was simply randomized.

But randomized or not, she was going to make him pay. He will see hell!

"Ranma," she snapped as she practically stopped all her previous actions. "WHAT THE HELL DO YOU ACTUALLY WANT FROM ME-?"

Ranma was taken aback by Akane's sudden reaction. He could've sworn he'd seen hurt in her eyes—they are moist with unshed tears, yet still so spunky that he could see that she had really loathed him. He idly wondered if he went too far. But…

'_If that's what I think it is…then the plan's going to work.'_

"_WHAT THE HELL DO YOU ACTUALLY WANT FROM ME-?" Akane shouted at him. She seethed in frustration and inched closer to him, much to Ranma's delight. She raised her arms, her hands already balled into fists, and…_

_She was stopped by a strong pair of arms. Ranma, without wasting a second, cupped her face with both of his hands and crushed his lips to hers._

_When they finally broke up, Ranma noticed that Akane still had her eyes closed. "I am so sorry, Ranma. I lied to you," she told him. "The truth is…ever since the first time I saw you as a man, I already wanted to crush these lips onto yours. I wanted to kiss you so badly!"_

"Eheheheheheheh…"

He felt a blunt object brush near his jaw. Out of impulse (and in correspondence with his "plan"), he immediately reached for the shoulders and cupped the face with both of his hands. Now, the only thing he needed to do is to crush those luscious lips of hers with his…

"You evil cur Saotome! Are you actually insane? How dare you lay a finger on me! "

Ranma instinctively opened eyes. He was surprised to see Kuno in his arms, his hands cupping his face. And that blunt object which he had thought was Akane's mallet…was actually Kuno's _bokken?_

"Do it again, you wretched sorcerer, and I'll make sure you'd pay dearly," Kuno spat. Ranma, on the other hand, only stared in shock.

All color drained the life out of Ranma as he'd realized what he had just done. He was about to k-k-ki-kiss… k-k-kiss K-Kuno-! He shuddered at the thought. It was his worst nightmare, dammit! How come a nice dream about Akane would be turned into Kuno?

He felt his knees grow weak in disgust. He was shoved out of the fence into the canal when Kuno had hit him with his _bokken._ As expected, he turned into a girl, in which Kuno had immediately noticed.

"Oh, my beloved pigtailed goddess! You're all soaked! No worries, my love, as I've already vanquished that evil sorcerer into oblivion! We shall be reunited soon, my love," he declared. The now-female Ranma only grunted in disgust.

'_Though Operation 1 had failed, there's always the second one! Just you wait, Akane! I'll make sure you'd come and beg for my kiss!'_

_

* * *

_

Ranma grew anxious with every second that may pass. How long would it take Akane from that stupid library, anyway? He was tired of waiting. He had to follow through his second plan, or else he'd die.

**OPERATION 2:**

**Accidental Kiss!**

_**Details: Make sure that you are on standby by the time she enters the room, and cross the door from the opposite direction at the same time in order to create the atmosphere for the accidental kiss. **_

"Eheheheheh… Once this plan is executed, you'll pay dearly, tomboy," he muttered to himself as he settled near the door, all according to his well-formed plan. He will have to kiss her today, or he'll never kiss her at all! Nevertheless, he can already sense his victory. He will not fail!

'_Though you may have ran away from me earlier, you cannot run away again—'_

For the second time on that day, his mind wandered off to la-la land.

"_Okay guys, I'll be there in just a minute," she told her friends as she hurried for the door. She opened it and was surprised to be knocked down by Ranma's broad shoulders as he accidentally fell on top of her. It later registered into Ranma that his lips were already locked with hers._

_When he reluctantly got up on his knees to stop pinning her against the floor, he was surprised to see Akane—dazed, and completely flustered. When she finally her opened eyes, she eyed him seductively._

"_Please kiss me again, Ranma," she pleaded. "I need to feel your soft lips unto mine!"_

"_Hmph," he shrugged. "How can I be so sure? It was an accident, remember? And as far as I have known, you do not want to kiss me."_

"_Oh, Ranma-dearest!" she cooed. "I beg of you! I __**desperately **__need to feel your lips unto mine again! I lied to you; you're the only one I ever wanted to kiss! I want to crush these lips onto yours right here and now!"_

"Okay guys, I'll be there in a minute!"

Ranma stiffened. Here she was, finally—and this time, he will not fail. He placed his hand on the door handle to slide it open. He had crashed onto someone, and before he knew it, had pinned that certain someone onto the ground. He felt his lips brush that someone's skin. It later registered onto him that what he had just kissed was the cheek.

'_Drat,' _he mused. _'Only the cheek—oh well. One's as good as the other.'_

In accordance with the plan, he slowly raised his head, only to find something unnerving, dismaying, and absolutely disgusting. Thank goodness it was _only _the cheek! He cannot live it down if he had actually kissed HIM!

He felt sick. He felt that he was gonna puke, right there and then!

"S-S-Saotome…" a blushing Gosunkugi muttered, his hands tending to the spot that Ranma had 'accidentally' placed his lips upon. (Actually, he was disgusted to use the word 'kiss.') "Did you..just..?"

"I—NO!—IT WAS AN ACCIDENT! I NEVER WANTED TO DO IT, I SWEAR!"

"Ranma…!"

Ranma shuddered at the call. Only one person calls him with _that _kind of tone, so if that's actually what he'd heard, then…

"Ranma, y-y-you BIG PERVERT! I see now, I know exactly _**why**_ you didn't want to be kissed! You wanted to kiss _**men**_, don't you? I..I see…!"

"Akane!" he retorted, not wanting to live down the shame of what he had just done. "You're mistaken! It was an accident! Really!"

"Oh, I can see it was an accident," she sarcastically replied. "You even _pinned _him onto the ground!"

"I DID NOT-! Are you that _stupid_? I won't—OUCH!"

Akane's hand connected with his face with a hard "SLAP!"

Ranma can only tend to his bruised cheeks as a result. "WHAT'D YOU DO THAT FOR?" he retorted, all mad at the situation. But before he can even wait for a reply, he was already sent out of the building by crashing through the window as Akane had punched his gut, _hard. _

"AKANE, YOU IDIOT-!"

He had finally shut up when he was hit by a flower pot that had magically fallen from the sky.

* * *

"Have you heard? Saotome's body is not the only thing that's weird! He likes boys, too!"

"Yeah! And I heard that he ambushes them at school!"

"Yup, and had you seen that thing earlier? He had kissed Gosunkugi _-kun_ right at the hallway! He just pinned him onto the ground!"

"Really? Yuck, what a disgusting freak! Hey, wait a minute—who's him again?"

"Huh? Saotome Ranma_-kun_ from Class 1-F. Have you forgotten?"

"No, not him. The other one."

"Oh, Gosunkugi Hikaru_-kun. _ _Go-su-n-ku-gi-ku-n_. Wait—drat, I forgot his name!"

As the rumors circulated in school, Akane can only curse herself on her seat for being so stupid. Of course he wouldn't want to kiss her! All he wanted to kiss were boys! Boys whom…she had _hated._

She wanted to punch herself, to slap her face, hard, so as to awaken from her deep slumber. She had been fantasizing for too long. It was absolutely clear that he did not desire her. She had known him for so long—he may be a jerk most of the time, but she knew he actually cared for her. But, of course, she wasn't certain on what degree that affection may run across to. And now, she knew. He only treated her as a friend. And, his other fiancées did not suffice either. Now, she realized that all her insecurities were meaningless—especially if she was compared to a _boy._

On all those times that she had spent with him, never did she know that he was actually.._gay._

And to think that she had liked him…

"Akane-? Are you alright?"

Akane was too much preoccupied by her thoughts that she had actually failed to notice Yuka and Sayuri's failed attempts to get her attention.

"Akane," Yuka called her for the umpteenth time, and much to their delight, she had finally taken heed of their presence.

"What is it?" Akane finally asked. "Is something wrong?"

"Oh, Akane!" Sayuri gasped, "Everything's gone totally wrong! You know—about you and Ranma_-kun_? They actually thought that he was gay! I mean…you don't really believe that rumor about him kissing Gosunkugi_-kun_, right?"

"It's true," Akane intercepted. "I'm there, right when it happened."

This remark, in turn, earned muffled gasps from the two oblivious girls. So.. is that it? The reason why he haven't chosen from one of his fiancées… the reason why he was cursed to turn into a girl… the reason why he wasn't willing to have an intimate relationship with anyone…the reason why he didn't want to kiss Akane…was… was…was because...of _that-?_

Yuka was the first to snap out of it. "A-a-are you really sure? I mean, maybe it was an accident."

Akane grunted in frustration. "Well…it _looked _like an accident," she mused. "But I wasn't sure _how much _of that was an accident."

The two girls can only mutter "oh.." in unison.

* * *

"Why—is—this—happening—to—me?"

Ranma can only seethe in disgust. What had he done? What damage did that plan had done? Gods, he feared the worst—and knowing that this was Nerima, it'll always be the worst. He steeled his resolve, but to no avail. As what Akane had said—rumors go on for about eighty days. And now, he had seventy-nine left. Will he be able to live through with it? Will he be able to go back to his former status with Akane? Will he ever achieve his goal? Why is this happening to him? Why does he always _fail_?

And above it all… he had accidentally _kissed _Gosunkugi. His plan really had become an accident. He loathed it to no ends, and he had absolutely despised the idea. W-w-what will the people think?

"Oi-! Ranma!"

Ranma cocked his head towards the direction of the voice, only to find his two close pals, Daisuke and Hiroshi, approach him. They patted his back in unison.

"Ranma! Man, you're always full of surprises!" Daisuke exclaimed. "You're not satisfied on just having Akane as your fiancée that you've added Kuonji, Kuno_-senpai's _lunaticlittle sister, and Shampoo_-chan_ as your concubines, and now… man, I haven't even thought you had it in you!"

"That's right, Ranma!" agreed Hiroshi, who snickered at the thought of Ranma being together with Gosunkugi. "Why, I never even thought that you were actually _gay! _You really like men, don't you?"

These statements coming from the two idiots ticked the hell out of Ranma. What the hell are they talking about? Did they even know that he'd done all of those just to kiss that uncute fiancée of his? Have they even known of his botched attempts to kiss her? And why did they come up with an idea that he was "gay" when that incident was actually an accident? He despised that moment; he can't live down with it! It ticked the hell out of him!

"W-W-WHAT? What the hell are you talking about?" he retorted, too much furious for words. "G-g-g-gay? I'm not! I'm perfectly straight! Can't you even see that I had lots of fiancées?"

"Oh, of course we _know_, Ranma!" Hiroshi replied. "It was such a nice _front_, you know!"

"You certainly had the right excuse," Daisuke added, while settling in closer to Ranma. "I mean, who would've thought that behind all those girls and martial arts prowess is the heart of a man who actually yearned to be a woman? Maybe your curse was a manifestation after all!"

Ranma cursed under his breath. Yup, he really needed to do something about this matter. He won't even last a day with it.

"You guys…" he started, "…are SO DEAD!"

The two guys can only shudder in response as they felt themselves being beaten up by a furious Ranma. Seeing his anger towards the matter, they were convinced that it really was an accident.

"Say that again, and you're dead meat," he spat in fury. As he flared in rage, he noticed a group of students watching him.

"Do you know? Saotome from Class 1-F really liked boys!"

"Kyaaa~! Really? But wasn't he engaged to Tendo_-san?_"

"Hey, wasn't that Saotome?"

"Hey, smart guy! I hear you fancy boys, is that true? So, Akane_-san_ is up for grabs again, I suppose?"

"NO-! I DON'T, I HATE IT, I ABSOLUTELY DESPISE IT, AND I'M PERFECTLY STRAIGHT! IT WAS AN ACCIDENT-!"

* * *

'_Why is this happening to me?'_

Ranma grumbled in frustration as he frantically scratched the tree bark in fury. He was still atop of this old, stupid tree, he was still inside the Furinkan High campus, but the thing is, he didn't have the heart to appear to the public anymore. He hung his head low in frustration. He hated this. All he wanted was to kiss Akane. Why did it have to be like this?

"What's the matter, Ranma_-kun?_"

Ranma, though startled for awhile, immediately looked upon the mention of his name. He went down.

"N-Nabiki? What are you doing here?" he asked, confused.

"Oh goodness me. And I was about to ask you the same thing," she replied with her usual business-as-usual smirk. "You know me—I am absolutely fond of your attempts to kiss my little sister."

At last! Someone had actually acknowledged the fact that whom he was trying to kiss was Akane, and not that voodoo doll creep! However, because she was Nabiki, he held himself off in check.

But, still… did she say something about kissing Akane?

"What are you talking about?" asked Ranma. "So…you don't believe that thing with Gosunkugi?"

Nabiki only smirked upon the mention of Gosunkugi's name. "Excuse me? Do you actually think that I will believe such a crappy thing like that? Of course, as usual, you know the true reason."

"And that is-?"

"That will be five-hundred yen for the information," she replied, as Ranma immediately gave his payment to her. "You really are generous, too good to become my brother-in-law."

"Now cut the crap out," growled Ranma. "Tell me."

"I've already told you. It is one of your botched attempts to kiss Akane."

This remark had hit the nail off the head. He can never keep a secret from the cunning eyes of the middle Tendo sister.

"So?"

"What I'm offering you," she stated a matter-of-factly, "is that I'm actually willing to help you vanquish those rumors. Surely, you do not want the people to think that you really are _gay_, don't you?"

"Of course I'm not!" he shouted at the top of his lungs. "I'm perfectly straight!"

"So?"

"Put it on my tab," he finally said in defeat. That was the only way he knew on how to survive—to be submissive, or to live a life of a burglar. He decided that the former wasn't so bad once in a while.

"Nabiki-_oneechan_? Is that you?"

Both Nabiki and Ranma cocked their heads towards the direction of the voice. It was Akane.

"Crap," said Nabiki, who was busily placing her collected fees on her wallet. "I need to go now. See ya later, lover-boy."

"L-l-lover boy?" he repeated in confusion.

Before he can speak again, he was surprised to feel a hand grasp his shoulders.

"Oh, it's only you, Ranma," came a muffled gasp from Akane. "I thought _oneechan_ was with you. I guess I was mistaken." Without wasting a second, she immediately removed her hands from Ranma's shoulders, and silently walked away from him.

Ranma can only stare at Akane. So…she did come to him willingly! But, who she had been looking for wasn't him, but Nabiki. _Drat_, he mused. _I guess she really is mad at me, then!_

"Wait! Akane," interrupted Ranma. "About earlier-"

Akane's mischievous smile sent shivers down his spine. "What is it, Ranma? Is there something to explain?" she questioned him. "I understand it completely. There's no need to deny it. I wish you the best of luck. And I…_I'm sorry._"

This reply exceeded Ranma's expectations. He expected her to be furious at him, to react in full rage and punt him to oblivion…but…why is she saying those things?

"W-what the hell are you talking about, Akane? Why did you apologize?"

"Well, you know the reason. I mean, I'm sorry I got mad at you, I just…I just never really _noticed._" She smiled at him and continued, "I just want to say I have misjudged you. I should have known, you really are not what I have always believed you were."

Ranma can only gape in shock. "Eh-?"

"You know? Remember that time with the _koi rod_? You were so willing to be with Ryoga_-kun_. Maybe, at that time, that love wasn't forced," she explained. "You know…_that _may be a manifestation..and along with your curse, I should have known… that behind that large ego and manly physique, lies a beating heart of a _woman_."

'W-W-WHAT THE HELL DID YOU SAY?'

"You _don't _understand a thing, Akane," explained Ranma, who now clutched his hands tighter than before. He was furious, he was certain of it. "Are you really _that_ stupid? Do you think I actually want to do it? Don't you know an accident when you see one?"

"Then, what the hell is it?" an enraged Akane yelled back. "What do you expect me to believe, eh?"

"What I expect you to believe? Well then Akane, there's only one thing."

"What is it?" she asked in return.

"I- I only have one question for you…"

'_This time… for sure!'_

**OPERATION 3:**

**Ask her!**

_**Details: When all else fails, this will only be the last resort. No tricks, no surprises. Just gather your resolve and ask her if you can, you know, kiss her.**_

"_I only have one question for you, Akane," said Ranma, as he trudged closer to Akane. "Can I…can I __**kiss **_you?"

"_Oh, Ranma!" exclaimed Akane as she lashed herself onto his arms and kissed him forcefully on the lips. When they finally broke up, she smiled at him sweetly. "You've finally said it. You didn't have to ask me. Just kiss me anytime, anywhere and in any way you can."_

"_Akane…!"_

"I—you see, what I wanted to ask you is… can I—can I—can I—c-c-c-can I—k-ki-k-k-k-k-ki—kiss you?" he finally said, as a drop of sweat trickled down his face. _Yes! He'd finally said it!_

"R-Ranma…! You..."

Hearing someone else's voice, he looked forward, only to see no Akane in sight. Instead, what he saw are two flaring orbs that wanted to punt him to oblivion. A man with a familiar bandanna… Porcine flesh…

"R-Ryoga..! What are you doing here? Um…where… where is Akane?" asked Ranma, who still cannot believe that for the third time on that day, he had failed once again. And that was his last resort, too! He just hoped that no one had heard what he had said, or else, the rumors will worsen again.

"Akane_-san_ had already left… she said that I should check on you, 'cause you seem to be out of it," replied Ryoga, who was still stunned at Ranma's current declaration. "And, she's right. You did seem to be out of it."

'_Akane had already left? So… so…so..?'_

"But more importantly, Ranma," growled Ryoga, who was now fully enraged. "How dare you humiliate me! That is the very first time in my entire life to have a boy ask me if he can _kiss_ me! How dare you-! I'll kill you, you son of a bitch..!"

"Eh-? NO-! YOU'VE GOT IT ALL WRONG, RYOGA! I WASN'T ASKING YOU, IT'S AKANE WHOM I ASKED!"

"Akane_-san's _not here, is she, Ranma? Prepare to die!"

"Have you heard that? Saotome said that he really wanted to kiss Tendo_-san_!"

"But, haven't you seen him earlier? He just asked that guy with the bandanna if he can kiss him!"

"Maybe he's _bisexual_, don't you think so too?"

"He's weirder than he looks."

"NOOOO-! YOU'VE GOT IT ALL WRONG!"

"SHISHI HOKODAN-!"

* * *

It was almost sunset when Akane had crossed the bridge that day. She walked with low, heavy steps—she appeared to be so much depressed, so depressed that even the passersby can notice the gloomy and dark aura that she was emitting.

She was already depressed at the fact that he didn't want to kiss her, and what's worse, he rejected her! And now… to think that her nemesis was actually a boy and not a girl…what had she done wrong this time? Why is this happening to her? Was she that stupid that she had actually failed to see his true feelings? Wasn't she good enough for him? And he even tried to deny it! _That jerk!_

Her train of thoughts was put onto a complete stop as she noticed a familiar figure beneath the bridge.

"DAMMIT!" Ranma cried in frustration. "WHAT THE HELL IS HAPPENING TO ME-?"

The serene ambiance of the settling sun only made the weight of Ranma's already depressed mood even heavier. He was too depressed for that day. Nothing seemed to be right. Months before, and he wouldn't have the guts to try and kiss her, more or less, even to concoct some plans and actually execute it! And now…now that he had actually _done _it, it actually came off as a failure! And what's worse, it had turned out to be the worst case scenario! Why can't it even go right?

"DAMMIT!" he shouted again, as he threw a stone at the river, as if wanting to crush all his problems with that stone altogether. "WHY CAN'T IT GO RIGHT? ALL THOSE EFFORTS TO KISS HER… WHY DOES IT ALWAYS FAIL? AND WHAT'S WORSE, THEY ACTUALLY THINK THAT I LIKE THOSE DISGUSTING FREAKS! I HATE THIS!"

He threw a stone again. But this time, it was not just a stone. It was a boulder, and he threw it into the water with a large splash.

Akane, still atop of the bridge, can only stare at Ranma in shock. So… was she wrong about him again? He said that he wanted to kiss a girl—that's because he said "her." So, all those things with random guys… are all his failed efforts to kiss that girl? _Well then_, she mused, as her jealousy flared up again. _Who the hell is she, the one whom he wanted to kiss, to the extent of failing miserably and yet being unable to give up?_

Ranma seethed in frustration. He can't take it anymore.

"WHY CAN'T I DO IT RIGHT? DAMMIT! ALL I WANTED WAS TO _KISS AKANE-!"_

Ranma's previous statement made Akane's heart skip in glee, as her earlier jealousy and frustration vanished into thin air. Her face was hot, she was certain, and she was obviously flustered at the fact that she had actually seen Ranma so vulnerable, and to top it all, he had admitted…he had admitted that…that he had wanted to _kiss _her! She, his uncute, tomboyish, macho jock, kitchen-destroyer of a fiancée…and he wanted to kiss her !

"Ranma…" she mumbled to herself, too flustered for words.

"I don't wanna do this anymore," Ranma finally muttered. "I—I give up."

Akane haven't heard his last statement as she had rushed down the bridge to approach Ranma. When she had finally reached him, she steeled her resolve, and asked him the things that Ranma had actually wanted to hear from her.

"R-Ranma…" she trailed off, as she felt herself becoming more and more flustered by the second. "A-are you… are you serious?"

Ranma was startled to hear someone speak to him. He looked at his back, and was surprised to see Akane.

"A-A-Akane.."

Akane, upon hearing his real thoughts, actually gave him a real smile that came from the depths of her heart, the very first one that she had given for that day. On her eyes remained unshed tears; she was obviously teary-eyed, but those tears were tears of joy—joy because of the fact that finally, she had known the truth—for Ranma had declared that he actually _wanted _to _kiss _her.

"Do you really mean it, Ranma?" she asked again, and this time, Ranma was certain that she was referring to the 'kiss.'

But since he was Ranma, he'd done the inevitable—he had played the role of an egotistic jerk.

"W-what are you talking about?" he asked, feeling himself quite flustered at the fact that Akane had actually heard him. What an amazing turn of coincidence!

"Y-you know," she then trailed off, "about that thing-you said you wanted to kiss me."

"I—WAIT!—I HAVEN'T SAID THAT! I'M SURE I DIDN'T! NO WAY!"

"OH, WHAT GIVES? I'M SURE I HEARD YOU ONE WAY OR ANOTHER!"

"OH? SO YOU WANNA FIGHT, EH?"

"OH COME ON! BRING IT ON IF YOU WANT!"

Their random spats triggered a feeling of déjà vu for the both of them. Akane, due to the irony of the situation, actually felt lightheaded that she even giggled for awhile. And since laughter can be so infectious, Ranma had found himself laughing as well.

As soon as they stopped laughing, they both found themselves tensing up to the situation once again.

"So," nudged Akane, who decided that she wanted to end this misunderstanding once and for all. "Is it true?"

Ranma, whose previous nervousness had vanished due to Akane's overly cute laughter, felt himself shudder at the fact that he was faced with Akane, asking him if his desire to kiss her was true.

"Do you really want to kiss me, Ranma?" she pressed again. Was he going to say it?

"Akane," he finally replied, as his familiar smirk formed again on his face. "Aren't you the one who wanted to kiss me?"

Akane was taken aback by his reply. "W-what the hell-? Don't change the topic, you jerk! I haven't said anything like that!"

"Oh, I'm positive! I heard you!" he interjected. "You even said that if I happen to kiss you, then you would actually _love _it!"

Akane felt her temper flare up again. "I did not!" she retorted. "Tell me exactly _when, where _and _how_ you happen to hear that?"

"Oh, the day before yesterday, STUPID! Back when you and your friends, Yuka and Sayuri, had been gossiping about kisses, and I was at the ceiling, hiding from that mob of mad girls!"

"I AM NOT STUPID, STUPID!"

"YES, YOU ARE STUPID, STUPID! JUST SWALLOW THAT DAMN PRIDE AND ADMIT THAT YOU LIKE ME!"

"HEY NOW, THE SAME APPLIES FOR YOU, TOO!"

"WHO SAYS?"

"ME!"

"LOOK HERE! JUST ADMIT THAT YOU ACTUALLY WANTED TO KISS ME, DAMMIT!"

"I- I…"

Akane's stuttered response has had Ranma taken aback. Now that she had finally taken a short pause—which obviously meant something—he felt himself being more and more nervous. He even felt a shiver trickle down his spine at the thought.

"I.." she trailed off again, and this time, she felt her cheeks on fire. And she was certain that Ranma was aware of the creeping tinge of red on her cheeks, too.

Seeing to herself that there is actually no way out of this, she nodded. "Well…so what if I _do_?"

Ranma cannot actually believe what he had just seen. He'd seen Akane, in the cutest way possible, nod to his question as if it was the most important thing in the world. And her words… it's as if she was challenging him—to dare anything just because she had admitted that she wanted to kiss him! So, if she wanted to kiss him, then… does that mean that she likes him, _too?_

_You see Ranma-kun, the both of you may not admit it clearly, but Akane really loves you. And besides, girls do not have the habit of kissing boys whom they did not like. It's a major proof, Ranma-kun!_

This earlier statement coming from Sayuri just popped on his head out of nowhere, as if wanting to tell him that _that_ is the answer to his question. Of course, after being with her for so long, he knew that Akane wouldn't kiss someone whom she did not love. Well then, if that's _that_, then it really means that…

He glanced at Akane again. The sunset's doing wonders on her, he mused. It only accented her cute face, with her cute, short hair that usually framed her face being blown by the wind. Akane, in response, tucked her hair behind her ear as she waited for Ranma's reaction with a loving gaze. Ranma felt his blood boiling in his ears. His heart was beating fast, dammit!

"So, Ranma…do you.. do you want to kiss me?"

Ranma gulped anxiously in nervousness and embarrassment. He was still uncertain on his next course of action. Of course, earlier, he had been certain to kiss Akane and now… now that she had actually come to him out of her own will, asking him if he had actually wanted to kiss her…why can't he just say it? He really wanted to kiss her! He wanted to kiss her so much that he could die!

Steeling his resolve, he nodded nervously. "If..if that's _okay_ with you," he then said.

Before he knew it, he felt a pair of hands touch his cheek, and… a pair of luscious lips crush to his own. He stiffened for awhile, too much in shock.

He felt his insides tingle at the feeling. _So this is what it feels like to be kissed, _he mused idly as he slowly relaxed into the feeling, kissing her back with twice the force and emotion. He even felt his own body, as if it had a mind of its own, grind itself to Akane's as he encircled one of his arms around her waist, pulling her closer to him and deepening the kiss in return. His other hand had cupped her face, deepening the kiss once more, if that was even possible.

Akane, now that she was actually kissing Ranma, was in heaven. She never thought that he can actually be like that—that behind all those things that make him a jerk, lies a romantic soul who had nothing to think of but to kiss his lover senseless. When she had kissed him, she expected him to stiffen and just stutter in return, reminiscent to her once-crush, Dr. Tofu's actions whenever he sees Kasumi. But…he surprised her once again. He had kissed her back, and was supposedly dominating on their exchange of fluttery kisses. Never did she know that Ranma was already incapable of having any coherent thought unrelated to his beloved fiancée, warm and sweet in his arms.

Ranma was in heaven. Never did he know that kissing Akane could be like _this_-this is the first time she had kissed him for real, and he was already addicted to it! Never did he realize that as Akane had pulled away from the kiss, searching for air, he wasted no second as he hungrily claimed her lips to his again. It is only after a few seconds that they had actually stopped.

With their ragged breathing, they looked at each other, senseless.

"I..uh.." Ranma trailed off, wanting to vanquish the awkwardness that had slowly crept its way upon them.

Ranma stared at Akane as she was, coincidentally, staring back at him with her flushed face, parted lips, and…she had a loving look in her eyes, that one can actually see the obvious—that she loved him.

"Thank you, Ranma," said Akane, as she smiled at him again, making Ranma's already fast heartbeat speed up.

Ranma smiled in return, which did the same thing for Akane. "I—uh—you're welcome, I guess."

There was a long pause before Ranma had decided to speak up again.

"Akane..? Can I…can I… can I kiss you again?" he then said, wanting to taste her for the second time.

Akane can only smile in return. She nodded, and slowly closed her eyes and puckered her lips, as if waiting for him to…

…And Ranma did not fail. He had claimed her lips to his again. And again. And again. And again. And again…

Never did they know that such a long time had already passed when they pulled their lips apart, and finally gasped for air, but still haven't got enough.

* * *

**Author's Notes: **So, did you like it? Reviews please! Reviews, reviews, reviews! Please spare me some reviews, I sacrificed some of my special review time allotted for my midterm exams just for this!


End file.
